Torgun and "World in Common" Friends,
Maybe we should change the name of the discussion group/initiative to "World in Despair", or maybe "World in Common Despair". Maybe that would attract the attention that we need to bring to the human condition and the cause of socialism. Almost everyone is living in despair, yet most would attribute it to their personal situation.
To the extent to which Capitalism and the ascription to it is the cause of so much unhappiness is beyond measure, but more importantly probably beyond repair. The former is inevitable, as Capitalism is such a dominant paradigm and has been for centuries, replacing feudalism and slavery as the oppressive force of a ruling "class". The reality that the damage caused by Capitalism is beyond repair is reflected everywhere we look.
I don't know the situation of others on this list, but I have been put in a situation where all my time is my own (an early retirement, if you will). I have had a lot of time to study and contemplate the world and the economic situation. Most people have to spend their entire lives niche-seeking and niche-living within the status quo. Their own brand of despair is thus intricately tied to their personal predicament and the soulless existence that they probably had to adopt to adapt to a soulless Capitalism.
Like all rationalists, for me it is a constant battle against hopelessness. That is why I join discussion groups like "World in Common". It is an exercise in felicity, finding common cause with others who have similar and diverse perceptions and perspectives, but a common wish to make the world a better place. It is almost like a religion.
What Jim wrote about contributing to the consciousness and eventual triumph of socialism certainly requires a great amount of faith. We believe in what we are doing, and feel good about moving those agendas forward.
A friend said "keep doing what you're doing, although you think that you are not making a difference, you never know, maybe you are having a positive impact on others and are just not getting the feedback on it". Let's keep trying as long as we have the time and the outlet, I'm so far past the motivation of looking for another job. It has reached the point of impossibility for me. There is not a good fit between my values, my integrity, my interests, my skills, etc. and the niches offered by the Capitalist system. For what it is worth, the structural unemployment problem within Capitalism is growing at an accelerating rate, so there is will be more of a pool of potential ascribers to the World in Common message, though it is doubtful that we will ever logistically be able to reach those millions, those billions. Even if we could, what would we tell them? It is not necessary for us to resolve that question, but if the world were approaching unity and communicating about a "world in common", we would be a very long way closer to our goals.
Mike Morin
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2009
On Despair (to the folks at "World in Common")
>united by our opposition to capitalism and the state and by our search for practical >alternatives.
As long as there is hope in your minds and an outlet for your thoughts, your project can never be considered a failure.
I am just projecting my personal disappointment because my attempt, which I put a lot of work into, to develop practical alternatives to Capitalism have turned out to be not practical at all.
I am cynical about the prospects for the human race. Don't let my cycnicicm get you down. If you see there is positive work to be done, then by all means do it, and please share it with me because having even the tiniest shred of hope feels better than complete and utter despair.
It makes me feel better to write this note. Here in Eugene, OR, USA, the population is totally atomized. There is no hope, only despair in the culture. People just drive around all day (consuming?, looking for work?, joy riding?), and others on the street are really down, if not out. That's how I feel down, if not out. The economic culture is impossible and it is collapsing, one person at a time. There are no productive facilities for the workers to take over, everything is made somewhere else. They have created a consumer culture, which is now failing, and I see no avenue out of that failure. I treied to devise and organize, but I have failed and I don't see a magical coalescence of free socialism on the horizon. Such would be nice, very nice, but the chances of it happening are nil, or to keep hope alive, next to nil.
Workers here work almost exclusively in distribution. They are so alienated by the environment of their work that they have no desire to own those means of distribution. Even if they did desire such, their understanding of the economic hiearchy under which they are marginalized, precludes in their minds any hope for such worker ownership to ever take place.
You see, there is a lot more to the economy, especially one whic is so globalized than owning the means of production. Even if that were to be the goal for workers, it would not benefit the local workers here. Owning the means of distribution in a fair trade arrangement with worker owned means of production would take a massive organizing effort. Workers are not even the slightest bit organized, nor does it seem likely that they could be made interested and believe that such could be successful.
Even by the far-fetched possibility that it could, we would still be creating market socialism. Just how we would go that additional giant step to free socialism has never been made clear, at least not to me.
Thank you WIC for trying. I hope that I can find the felicity to keep trying, as well.
Most sincerely,
Mike Morin
As long as there is hope in your minds and an outlet for your thoughts, your project can never be considered a failure.
I am just projecting my personal disappointment because my attempt, which I put a lot of work into, to develop practical alternatives to Capitalism have turned out to be not practical at all.
I am cynical about the prospects for the human race. Don't let my cycnicicm get you down. If you see there is positive work to be done, then by all means do it, and please share it with me because having even the tiniest shred of hope feels better than complete and utter despair.
It makes me feel better to write this note. Here in Eugene, OR, USA, the population is totally atomized. There is no hope, only despair in the culture. People just drive around all day (consuming?, looking for work?, joy riding?), and others on the street are really down, if not out. That's how I feel down, if not out. The economic culture is impossible and it is collapsing, one person at a time. There are no productive facilities for the workers to take over, everything is made somewhere else. They have created a consumer culture, which is now failing, and I see no avenue out of that failure. I treied to devise and organize, but I have failed and I don't see a magical coalescence of free socialism on the horizon. Such would be nice, very nice, but the chances of it happening are nil, or to keep hope alive, next to nil.
Workers here work almost exclusively in distribution. They are so alienated by the environment of their work that they have no desire to own those means of distribution. Even if they did desire such, their understanding of the economic hiearchy under which they are marginalized, precludes in their minds any hope for such worker ownership to ever take place.
You see, there is a lot more to the economy, especially one whic is so globalized than owning the means of production. Even if that were to be the goal for workers, it would not benefit the local workers here. Owning the means of distribution in a fair trade arrangement with worker owned means of production would take a massive organizing effort. Workers are not even the slightest bit organized, nor does it seem likely that they could be made interested and believe that such could be successful.
Even by the far-fetched possibility that it could, we would still be creating market socialism. Just how we would go that additional giant step to free socialism has never been made clear, at least not to me.
Thank you WIC for trying. I hope that I can find the felicity to keep trying, as well.
Most sincerely,
Mike Morin
Friday, March 6, 2009
Revolution versus Reform
If "we" were to have a (violent or relatively non-violent) revolution, and win, it would most certainly be a pyrrhic victory, just as Capitalism's ongoing oppression, recalcitrance to the needs of the majority, active aggression, ignorance, and its downright irrationality, inhumanity, inequity, and its propensity to horribly squander resources, including people, will prove to be the end for them, sooner than they may think.
If we were to have a takeover of, let's say, the United States Government, would "we" (and who the hell would we be, and how would it be determined who "we" are, and even if it could be, what would be the hierarchy within our decision-making apparatus?) have an effective program to rearrange the economy to a socialist one of our ideals?
Socialism is an economic system first. It is the control of governments by Capitalists, and problems associated with nationalism, that make it a political struggle. The political system in the USA has reached the point of total absurdity.
My suggestion is that we make cooperation, humanity, equity, quality of life, peace, and sustainability as the underlying values and principles of our mission. I further suggest that our strategy be one of local/inter-community/inter-regional worldwide solidarity and cooperation.
If we could educate and organize worldwide as to a workable transition from the Capitalist status quo to a realistic socialist alternative, we may have some chance at success.
We (everyone) have nothing to lose, except the hopelessness with respect to our future.
Mike Morin
If we were to have a takeover of, let's say, the United States Government, would "we" (and who the hell would we be, and how would it be determined who "we" are, and even if it could be, what would be the hierarchy within our decision-making apparatus?) have an effective program to rearrange the economy to a socialist one of our ideals?
Socialism is an economic system first. It is the control of governments by Capitalists, and problems associated with nationalism, that make it a political struggle. The political system in the USA has reached the point of total absurdity.
My suggestion is that we make cooperation, humanity, equity, quality of life, peace, and sustainability as the underlying values and principles of our mission. I further suggest that our strategy be one of local/inter-community/inter-regional worldwide solidarity and cooperation.
If we could educate and organize worldwide as to a workable transition from the Capitalist status quo to a realistic socialist alternative, we may have some chance at success.
We (everyone) have nothing to lose, except the hopelessness with respect to our future.
Mike Morin
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